186 ORALLY. 



When it resorts to the vicinity of the sea at a later period 

 of the season, the colour of the head has faded to pale ash, 

 with small dusky lines; the grey spots on the back and 

 scapulars have faded to dull white, and the dusky tint on 

 the latter to ash-colour ; the mottling on the under part also 

 becomes very obscure, or wholly disappears. The young 

 have the colour on the upper part olive brown, with dark 

 triangular spots on the coverts and scapulars, and the under 

 part of them is marked by zigzag lines, and mottlings of 

 brownish ash. 



The natural habitat of this species is said to be on the 

 banks of rivers, where it lives in concealment during the 

 breeding season, subsisting more upon the fresh-water shelled 

 mollusca than on insects and worms. 



Some authors have confounded this species with the god- 

 wits, from which it is readily distinguished by its bill ; and 

 others have said, " it is on the coast during winter," the fair 

 inference from which is, that it is a winter visitant ; but 

 it is, in truth, a resident bird, and breeds in the fens of 

 Cambridge and Norfolk. 



THE COMMON SAND-PIPER (TotdUUS lll/poleuCUS) . 



The common sand-piper is much more abundant in Britain 

 than any of the others, and therefore a much more interest- 

 ing bird, so far as popular observation is concerned. A 

 figure of the bird, on a scale of one-third of the lineal dimen- 

 sions, is given on the plate at page 112, from which a 

 judgment may be formed of the shape and the colours and 

 markings of the plumage. 



The feet of the common sand-piper are well adapted for 

 running upon soft surfaces, whether of loose sand or sludge. 

 The toes are webbed to the first joint, flat on the under 

 sides, and margined with membrane throughout their whole 

 length. It uses them with great dexterity in running ; and 



